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Modern Mysteries

Oregon's Lost Lake disappears every year

By T.K. Randall
May 9, 2015 · Comment icon 10 comments

The lake drains away like water draining through the plug hole in a bath. Image Credit: YouTube / Bend Bulletin
The peculiar lake remains filled up during the winter but vanishes entirely during the summer.
For years Oregon's aptly named Lost Lake has remained something of an enigma. Covering an area of 85 acres, this otherwise unremarkable expanse of water remains much the same as any other lake during the cold and wet winter months.

When the warmer weather arrives however something very strange happens - the lake's water slowly begins to disappear until nothing remains but a lush green meadow. The whole cycle then repeats itself over and over again on an annual basis.

The explanation, as it turns out, lies in two hollow lava tubes at the bottom of the lake that are continuously draining its water away through tunnels under the ground.
"The lakebed begins to fill in the late fall, when the amount of rain coming in starts exceeding the ability of the lava tubes to drain off the water," said spokeswoman Jude McHugh.

"And it continues to fill all winter long in a series of rain or snowstorms."

At the peak of the wet season the water level of the lake reaches around 9ft, but once summer comes and the rain stops the entire thing drains out through the holes, leaving it completely empty.



Source: Fox News | Comments (10)




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Comment icon #1 Posted by stereologist 10 years ago
There is another mysterious disappearing lake in Virginia called Mountain Lake. You might have seen it in the movie Dirty Dancing. It slowly disappears over decades. Then a small earthquake will cause the drain to sealed off and the lake refills in a few days, even overnight. The following link does not describe the quakes. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mountain_Lake_%28Virginia%29 http://www.lakelubbers.com/mountain-lake-684/ Earthquakes in the area open and close the cracks in the bottom of the lake, allowing the water to run out like water from a sink. When the earth shifts again, the cracks... [More]
Comment icon #2 Posted by Ozfactor 10 years ago
Has anyone been sucked down the holes ? I wouldn't swim in it !
Comment icon #3 Posted by Mac E 10 years ago
It's a portal to the Land of the Lost.
Comment icon #4 Posted by travelnjones 10 years ago
Oregon is near mount Shasta and that whole lemuria thing
Comment icon #5 Posted by theotherguy 10 years ago
Looks like it's a good fishing lake, which raises some questions. First and foremost, what happens to the fish?
Comment icon #6 Posted by stereologist 10 years ago
Looks like it's a good fishing lake, which raises some questions. First and foremost, what happens to the fish? There won't be fish in the lake since there are no species in that area that can spend the dry season encase din mud as some lungfish are able to do. If there are small patches that hold water throughout the year there might be smaller fishes.
Comment icon #7 Posted by DieChecker 10 years ago
I wonder if the water goes low enough that you can explore the lava tube? There won't be fish in the lake since there are no species in that area that can spend the dry season encase din mud as some lungfish are able to do. If there are small patches that hold water throughout the year there might be smaller fishes. It could very well be that they stock it yearly. Though I kind of doubt it since it does dry up almost every year. Probably still plenty of frogs and maybe turtles.... Also it 100% is clear there is no lake monster in this lake.
Comment icon #8 Posted by theotherguy 10 years ago
It could very well be that they stock it yearly. Though I kind of doubt it since it does dry up almost every year. Probably still plenty of frogs and maybe turtles.... Nailed it. http://lostlakeresort.org/fishing/ Although this site says that there's supposedly a 50-lb fish lurking at the bottom, which rises some more questions.
Comment icon #9 Posted by DieChecker 10 years ago
I think there is actually two, or more, Lost Lakes in Oregon.... Google Maps shows at least two, and I don't think either is the one mentioned in the OP.
Comment icon #10 Posted by theotherguy 10 years ago
I think there is actually two, or more, Lost Lakes in Oregon.... Google Maps shows at least two, and I don't think either is the one mentioned in the OP. Awesome. There's two, or three, or more... How hard is it to come up with a lake name that isn't already taken?


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